The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! It’s been a couple weeks since I typed those […]
Taylor Griggs
Taylor Griggs is a news reporter for the Portland Mercury. She is interested in all of your ideas, comments and concerns, particularly those related to transportation, climate, labor, and Portland city government. Send Taylor an email at tgriggs@portlandmercury.com, and find her on Bluesky @taylorgriggs.
Posted inTop Stories 2023
The Biggest Portland Environmental News of 2023
Oil company lawsuits, asbestos rain, and Rubio disappoints activists: A lot happened in 2023’s environmental news.
Multnomah County filed a nearly $52 billion lawsuit against big oil companies for their role in the deadly 2021 heat dome event. On a sunny June day, Multnomah County commissioners voted unanimously to sue 17 fossil fuel companies and big oil consultants, claiming the companies “have known their products were harmful for decades…and need […]
Posted inTop Stories 2023
The Biggest Portland Labor News of 2023
Move over “hot labor summer.” 2023 was a hot labor year for Portland workers.
The biggest labor news of the year, by far: The Portland Public Schools teachers’ strike. It was nearly a complete “no-school November” for Portland Public Schools students, whose teachers went on strike on November 1 and didn’t return until November 27. The month was marked by conflict between the Portland Association of Teachers union and […]
Posted inTop Stories 2023
The Biggest Portland Transportation News of 2023
PBOT struggles, Rose Quarter snags, and deadly crashes marked a busy year in Portland transportation.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) fell deeper into a massive budget crisis that’s been looming for years. PBOT’s longtime budget concerns took a sharp turn for the acute when Portland City Council, led by Mayor Ted Wheeler, voted to cut an approved parking fee increase in half. PBOT had already budgeted for the extra […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Trouble for the Small Donor Elections Program, Magic Mushroom Program Takeaways, and Cruise Ship Reroutes
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! It’s the last ~real~ week of December (that purgatory week […]
Posted inNews
The Portland Clean Energy Fund Is Fast Becoming the City’s Fiscal Lifeline
New projections show PCEF will have access to about $1.2 billion over the next five years, giving fund leaders the opportunity to greatly expand its clean energy programming.
Portlanders have seen several iterations of the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) since they voted to approve the fund to kickstart more climate-friendly initiatives in 2018. PCEF— which is funded by a 1 percent surcharge on local sales at large retailers— has consistently outperformed expectations, requiring leaders to reevaluate the fund’s purpose and […]
Posted inNews
Governor Kotek’s Central City Task Force Plan, Developed Behind Closed Doors, Gets Mixed Reviews
Task force plan recommends major public policy changes, but the public was barred from providing input or attending meetings.
This story has been updated to include additional input from the governor’s office. A plan presented by the governor’s task force which was intended to revitalize downtown is getting mixed reactions, after its members recommended criminalizing public drug use, and relaxing business taxes, among other measures. The meetings have also raised concerns that the public […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Trouble at the Japanese Garden, Eyebrow-Raising Polls, and Killer Cats
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good morning, Portland, and happy Wednesday. The sun peeked out yesterday and today it’ll be […]
Posted inNews
Employees at Portland Japanese Garden Report Pay Inequity and Racist Language from Management
Staff at the nonprofit say they’ve been retaliated against for speaking up about their concerns at work.
Note: Some names have been withheld from this story to protect sources from retribution. Instead, the Mercury is identifying them using letters to differentiate quotes. The Portland Japanese Garden, a lush and peaceful urban oasis located just outside downtown, is one of the city’s most prized natural and cultural attractions. But to many garden employees, […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Crazy Rain and Weather Records, Baby Rhinos, and Republicans Debate Again
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Whew, it’s been wet out there, huh? The (super) rainy […]
Posted inTeachers Strike
The Portland Teachers’ Strike Is Over. The Conversation About Oregon’s Education System Is Just Heating Up.
With the unprecedented strike resolved, teachers are calculating the return on investment. School leaders are lambasting the state’s school funding formula.
To some, the recent Portland Public Schools (PPS) teachers’ strike was a “watershed moment” with big results. To others, the nearly-month-long strike was mishandled and left teachers, students, and other district stakeholders wanting more. Though recollections of the strike won’t fit neatly into a single narrative, it undeniably forced broader conversations about labor and statewide […]
Posted inNews
PPS and the Teachers’ Union Ratified a Contract Agreement. Now What?
While the teachers’ strike is officially over, questions remain over calendar changes, and students are frustrated after being left out of decision making.
Portland Public Schools (PPS) educators and students returned to the classroom on Monday, November 27, after a nearly month-long teachers’ strike. But before the contract agreement between PPS and the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) union could be called a done deal, the union and school board had to vote to ratify it. On Tuesday, […]